Got a problem neighbor? Web site can work wonders

Videos of transgressors can be useful, and viewers are encouraged to give advice

Meghan Barr, Associated Press

Published
4:00 am PDT, Saturday, June 28, 2008

David Adams and his daughter Carly, 5, hold the sign they posted earlier this year between their home and that of their neighbor, whose two dogs they allege bark at all hours of the night, June 5, 2008, in Magnolia, Miss. Adams posted a video of the dogs barking on the Web site RottenNeighbor.com, which received several thousands of hits and comments. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) less

David Adams and his daughter Carly, 5, hold the sign they posted earlier this year between their home and that of their neighbor, whose two dogs they allege bark at all hours of the night, June 5, 2008, in ... more

Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP

Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP

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David Adams and his daughter Carly, 5, hold the sign they posted earlier this year between their home and that of their neighbor, whose two dogs they allege bark at all hours of the night, June 5, 2008, in Magnolia, Miss. Adams posted a video of the dogs barking on the Web site RottenNeighbor.com, which received several thousands of hits and comments. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) less

David Adams and his daughter Carly, 5, hold the sign they posted earlier this year between their home and that of their neighbor, whose two dogs they allege bark at all hours of the night, June 5, 2008, in ... more

Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP

Got a problem neighbor? Web site can work wonders

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Just outside his sealed bedroom window, beyond the chain-link fence that surrounds his next-door neighbor's yard, sit the reasons David Adams says he can't sleep: two bushy-tailed dogs that bark and howl all night.

The Magnolia, Miss., resident plugged up his ears and even took his neighbor to court alleging a noise violation. But the barking went on. Finally he discovered a Web site seemingly tailor-made for such suburban woes: RottenNeighbor.com.

"Nothing seemed to work. I couldn't get any help from the city," Adams said. "So I figured, let's try public humiliation."

He posted a video of the troublesome pooches on the site, and other users chimed in on his plight. Some offered sympathy and methods of silencing the mutts. Others berated him for blaming the animals.

The site, founded last July, is part online therapy, part trashy paperback novel. It singles out neighbors for offenses ranging from shoddy lawn upkeep ("They have garbage all through their yard") to alleged violence ("He has tried to run us down with his push lawnmower").

"It's kind of like watching a train wreck," admits 51-year-old Maegan Polak, of Flossmoor, Ill. "You know you shouldn't be enjoying it, but you are."

Users are invited to post advice on dealing with neighbors who fight and yell, who let their animals defecate on other people's property, who neglect their septic tanks - even those who cook foul-smelling food.

Using Google Maps, the site zooms in on homes of the accused, represented by structures colored red (for the rotten) and green (for the good) that resemble plastic pieces of a Monopoly board game.

Type in Columbus, Ohio, for instance, and the site brings up a bird's-eye view of the city, a patchwork of trees and rooftops. Click on one of the houses to see comments from agitated residents, like this one from Runaway Bay Drive complaining about a neighbor who "stomps around at all hours of the day."

Most of the postings are anonymous, which is just fine with site co-founder Brant Walker, 27, who came up with the idea when he moved into a new apartment and noticed a rotten smell coming from his neighbor's door.

Walker, a Web site designer from San Diego, said the site averages several hundred thousand hits per day. He said it is a good resource for people moving to a new neighborhood because it offers a glimpse behind closed doors - "things that a real estate agent won't tell you."

But he admits the site was forced to add a "flag for removal" option after people complained that they were unfairly targeted as bad neighbors. If a post gets flagged a certain number of times, it is now removed.

The relative freedom of anonymity presents dangers, including a lack of accountability, said Mary Madden, a senior research specialist at the Pew Internet & American Life Project who studies privacy issues.

"It can embolden some users to post negative or inflammatory comments that may be true. But it can also inspire others who might be trying to sell their house or increase their property value to post positive reviews," Madden said.

Positive comments can also be found, such as the "Best neighbors ever" posting from Medford, Mass.: "Lived next to these guys for years. Top notch neighbors and excellent parents to boot."

But red houses dominate, especially since Walker added a new feature: Posts showing the homes of registered sex offenders.

And the dogs are still barking on Regan Drive in Magnolia. Adams said the whirring of several box fans in his bedroom has helped drown out the noise, but he has not taken the advice of fellow RottenNeighbor.com users who suggested he buy his neighbor a gift certificate for dog training classes or put peanut butter laced with sedatives over the fence.